IMPORTANT (Please read to avoid confusion):Some items below may be tagged with a bold, red, all-caps "out of print/unavailable" notice. This does NOT mean that all other items not so tagged are, in fact, in stock -- or for that matter, in print and available, though there's a good chance they are. Some folks get confused on this point, and we can see why, so please read this for further clarification and other important before-you-order information. Unlike some mailorder websites, we don't have an electronic inventory system linked to our site, so you can't be sure of what we actually have or don't have in stock at any given moment without asking us -- please email our mailorder department for availability status -- or better yet, just go ahead and place your order using our shopping cart function and we'll get back to you with the status of each item. If you have general non-mailorder questions, email the store.

MIRAHCold Cold Water(K) 7" 4.50Mirah's contribution to K Records' long-running International Pop Underground Series is a glimpse at what would become a grand cowboy folk-inflected affair... her second full length just-released album "Advisory Committee". She writes in cursive, moving tales of tragedy and heartbreak. One part Bjork's swooping, soaring vocals, one part Mary Timony's white knights and chariots (well, in Mirah's case, let's make 'em bandits and covered wagons), one part Juliana Hatfield/Frente/That Dog childlike voice. Mash all this together and you'll get something close to Mirah, but she's definitely walking her own dusty trail. With Phil Elvrum of the Microphones. Recorded by Calvin Johnson.
RealAudio clip: "Make It Hot"

MIRAHDon't / The Tears That Fall(Mississippi) 7" 8.98**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**Taking a break from obscure reissues, lost world music artifacts, and unearthed country and folk and blues treasures, Mississippi looks to long time aQ fave Mirah for a brief two song blast of fuzzy, horn flecked reverby sixties girl group sounds. Yep, not what we usually expect from Mirah, but we're loving it. The first clue is the cover photo, which features Mirah in fishnets and knee high boots on an old motorcycle in a grafitti'd alley, and once inside, that's exactly what it sounds like, warm washed out old school 'Leader Of The Pack' style jangle and croon, shuffling rhythms, loads of delay and reverb, soulful horns, plenty of back ground "oooooh's and 'aaaaah's, total Lesley Gore, Supremes worship. The flipside is another soulful groover, this one more sultry, a woozy sexy after hours sixties soul ballad, Mirah's voice lush and smoky, the horns warm and languid, all wrapped around an irresistible main melody, at once total old school, but somehow re-envisioned as a modern bit of retro garage groove, so good.

MIRAHJoyride Mixes(K Records) cd 14.98Remix albums are always a big risk. Especially with Non electronic artists. Often the results can be more of a mess than anything else. We were kind of curious, cautiously so, to see how the gentle yet powerful voice and music of Mirah would fare in remixed form. Luckily the results are actually really nice. Joyride Mixes features delicate handlings of Mirah's well crafted songs by folks like Tender Forever, Microphones, Yacht, Anna Oxygen, Guy Sigsworth as well as a bunch of less familiar names. Which is actually one of the reasons this comp is so cool, instead of calling on the usual big name remixers things were kept a little intimate with friends who would more likely be familiar with the essence of her music. If you ever imagined what it might sound like if Mirah did a one-off on Morr Music with Lali Puna at her side this comes pretty close. For folks who have never encountered Mirah in the past, but hold records like Bjork's Vespertine and Feist's Let It Die in high regard, it might be wise to jump on this joyride, and longtime Mirah fans will also be aboard, windows down, heads out the window, soaking up more of Mirah's adventurous adventure sounds!
MPEG Stream: "Apples In The Trees (Pash Remix)"MPEG Stream: "Jerusalem (Yacht Remix)"MPEG Stream: "Don't Die In Me (Mt. Eerie Remix)"MPEG Stream: "We're Both So Sorry (Screamclub Remix)"

MIRAHThe Old Days Of Feeling(Modern Radio Record Label) cd 11.98While folks like Teegan & Sara and Feist have used a similar yet much more slick aesthetic to achieve big success and relative fame, our hearts will always be with Mirah when it comes to interesting, introspective and bittersweet indie pop/folk. The Old Days Of Feeling compiles lots of hard to find tracks from cassettes, 7"s and other releases as well as a handful of unreleased tracks. Kimya Dawson might have been the lucky one to get the call from Juno filmmakers and become the latest former underground lo-fi rocker to hit the bigtime, but it could have just as easily been Mirah getting that call as her songs are just as honest, endearing, and heart wrenching. With lots of these songs recorded on 4-track with bare bones production it's a great reminder of how strong the core of Mirah's songwriting really is and how her charisma shines whether with an orchestra by her side or alone in her bedroom.
MPEG Stream: "The Place"MPEG Stream: "Heat Gets Hotter"MPEG Stream: "Get It?"

MIRAHYou Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This(K) cd 14.98Super sweet pop from the Pacific Northwest, just like you'd expect from K Records. The female singer with the crystal clear voice sounds just like the Nina Persson of the Cardigans. Very pretty!

MIRAH & GINGERSongs From the Black Mountain Project(K) cd 14.98This album compiles the bountiful fruits of Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn and Ginger Brooks Takahashi's month-long musical stay at a friend's grandmother's home in the small town of Black Mountain, NC. If you enjoyed Mirah's last album, the adventurous indie epic Advisory Commitee, you'll surely take a shine to this home-spun delight. The plucking of a ukelele echoes the plink plonk of raindrops in a washtub. The scrape of a bow across a cello's strings chirps like a cricket's evening song. And the area's natural ambience found its way onto the recordings too - the welcome sound of cicadas and birds crept in around Mirah, Ginger and their friends' keyboards, drums, guitars and voices. Ah, the voices! They ring so strong and clear even when the women are singing ever so softly. As with most everything Ms Mirah lends her hand to, this is a glorious and empowering project. Proceeds from this album are going to The Pentridge Children's Garden (a community garden for children in Philadelphia cared for by volunteers) and the Rock'n'Roll Camp For Girls (it's exactly that! ... a music and art day camp in Portland, OR for girls age 8-18).
MPEG Stream: "Rock Of Ages"MPEG Stream: "Oh! September"

MIRAH & SPECTRATONEShare This Place(K) lp 13.98Now on LP... Oh how we love Mirah and her dreamy acoustic indie pop! Her recordings are always such a joy -- imbued with a comforting warmth, the feeling of a close knit yet welcoming indie pop community. On Share This Place, Mirah's unmistakable ageless voice has never sounded sweeter as she harmonizes angelically with herself. She clearly works well on her own as well as in collaboration with others. You might recall the recordings that she's done with other likeminded indie folksies such as Ginger and The Black Cat Orchestra. This time she is joined by Spectratone International who are actually a new incarnation of The Black Cat Orchestra. These lovely insect-themed recordings were originally intended to be accompaniment for a collection of filmmaker Britta Johnson's animated works. We can't comment on the films 'cause we haven't had a chance to see them yet, but we can definitely recommend the music! Hushed and gently winding.
MPEG Stream: "Following The Sun"MPEG Stream: "Love Song Of The Fly"

MIRAH AND SPECTRATONE INTERNATIONALShare This Place(K) cd 14.98Oh how we love Mirah and her dreamy acoustic indie pop! Her recordings are always such a joy -- imbued with a comforting warmth, the feeling of a close knit yet welcoming indie pop community. On Share This Place, Mirah's unmistakable ageless voice has never sounded sweeter as she harmonizes angelically with herself. She clearly works well on her own as well as in collaboration with others. You might recall the recordings that she's done with other likeminded indie folksies such as Ginger and The Black Cat Orchestra. This time she is joined by Spectratone International who are actually a new incarnation of The Black Cat Orchestra. These lovely insect-themed recordings were originally intended to be accompaniment for a collection of filmmaker Britta Johnson's animated works. We can't comment on the films 'cause we haven't had a chance to see them yet, but we can definitely recommend the music! Hushed and gently winding.
MPEG Stream: "Following The Sun"MPEG Stream: "Love Song Of The Fly"

MIRAH WITH THE BLACK CAT ORCHESTRATo All We Stretch The Open Arm(Yoyo) cd 14.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Ahoy kids! We've got a Mirah double whammy! It's mighty clear she's been keeping herself knee-deep in music with not only this her collaborative albums with her Black Mountain Project partner Ginger Brooks Takahashi and here with the Black Cat Orchestra, but also her C'mon Miracle solo album (reviewed last list). This woman eats, sleeps, dreams and breathes music. To All We Stretch The Open Arm is a particularly potent and moving collaboration in that as the folks at YoYo Records describe it "(the songs) were chosen, arranged, and performed... because these times call for such songs. These songs come from places and decades that have seen dissent, passion, and revolution... Simply, this is an album of what would have once been called protest songs."It wonderfully displays her broad scope of style and delivery. Dramatic and dynamic yet very sensitive and down to earth, Mirah flits and flirts with haunting folk, jaunty old style musicals, and slinky cabaret -- singing in Spanish, Italian and English. For those familiar with her last few of releases, it's no surprise that she does so with ample impressive flair. Seattle's Black Cat Orchestra keep perfect step right along with her for the length of this album. This collection features their versions of songs originally by such artists as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Kurt Weill, as well as her own song "Monument" from her fine last album Advisory Committee. When asked for a Mirah cd preference, we'd definitely lean more towards her most recent three (Advisory Committee, C'mon Miracle and this one), but we'd be hard-pressed to choose just one 'cause they're each quite special unto themselves. Nonetheless, recommended!"
MPEG Stream: "The Light"MPEG Stream: "Bella Ciao"

MIRIOkkar(Kimi) cd 16.98Surveys show that, like, 25 percent of Icelanders believe in elves. And we're pretty sure the other 75 percent fervently believe in post-rock. Actually, there's probably a lot of overlap there... Here's the first album from Miri, "four guys from the remote east fjords of Iceland" who play a mostly instrumental form of indie pop post-rock, with a knack for pretty melodies amidst their moody mathiness. What we weren't expecting - and what immediately grabbed us - was how the very first track is chock full of dubby attacks, everything suddenly all awesomely echo-effected out. Love that!! Other interesting production twists exist throughout the album, courtesy of Icelandic electronica artist Curver, who similarly also added a lot of cool glitch to a disc we liked long long ago by metalcore act Minus. And in addition to the electronic studio trickery of Curver, this is graced by guest musicians, among 'em members of Mum and Benni Hemm Hemm, who expand the group's instrumentation to include harmonica, vibraphone, flute, and marimba. Also, we noticed Brooklyn's Scotty Hard (of WordSound fame) namechecked in the credits, we don't know what he had to do with this exactly (since we're not fluent in Icelandic) but were were surprised to see him there, or maybe not, what with that aforementioned dubbiness!!Sometimes noisy yet sunshiney, mildly mathy yet melodic, often calming but also rhythmically compelling (do Icelandic elves dance to stuff like this?), Miri's Okkar is definitely a contender for post-rock record of the month. Heck, let's declare it post-rock album of the winter (it's not even winter yet, but they're from Iceland so it's appropriate... plus this will keep us warm then, with its bright, mesmeric grooves).
MPEG Stream: "Goda Konan"MPEG Stream: "Draugar"MPEG Stream: "Drekar"

MIRKWOODs/t(Machu Picchu) lp 22.00

MIRRA, HELEN Field Geometry (Explain) cd 13.98For those who remember the Suck.com parody of the descriptions found on Aquarius Records' tags, Suck.com had rewritten our description of a Helen Mirra 10" to read "Lush, enigmatic, forgiving, like a less neurotic Cat Power." Actually that description aptly pegged that Helen Mirra record (which we didn't really like all that much) way better than we did originally. However, it doesn't really apply to Mirra's first CD "Field Geometry" - which is a minimalist Americana meditation sounding a lot like a super slowed down John Fahey backed by the constant rustle of a seamstress weaving. Spartanly beautiful and mysteriously evolving. Completely recommended.

MIRRORCassia Fistula(Idea) 7" 6.50THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Both Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heemann of the the drone-improv outfit Mirror had been commissioned to remix elements from Brandon Walls' "Cassia Fistula" album. In spite of the fact that the source album was a dud, this limited edition 7" is quite good, with delicate feedback modulations and thick drones culled from analogue synthesis, ending up a bit more electronic than any of the Mirror albums. The packaging -- just a generic 7" sleeve -- leaves much to be desired though.

MIRRORDie Spiegelmanufaktur(Die Stadt) cd 24.00THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Previously released as a super limited edition picture disc, "Die Spiegelmanufaktur" has now been re-issued on CD!This installment from the prolific Mirror catalogue finds Mirror's core protagonists Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heeman working with avant-rock darling Jim O'Rourke, who has kept himself busy by joining Sonic Youth. His presence will certainly bring this understated drone project to a bigger audience, and hopefully more attention to the reclusive, yet brilliant Chalk, whose solo work as well as his work with Organum, Ora, and Jonathan Coleclough remain all-time favorites here at Aquarius. The recordings found here were culled from a Mirror performance at the Lagerhaus in Bremen, Germany just a few months back in April 2002. The instrumentation appears to be organ, drone guitar, bowed metal, and some unidentified resonant clatter hovering at the event horizon much like the miniature sounds that Keith Rowe has produced for the recent AMM recordings. Through the glassine drone tricks that Chalk and Heeman have perfected in previous Mirror recordings, all of these sounds seamlessly meld into a tranquil piece of evocative ambience. Sporadically, a tremolo flutter emerges, probably indicative of some laptop trickery from O'Rourke. Do not fear, O'Rourke has left his Max / MSP patches turned off and thoughtfully ensured that his contribution was complementary to the Mirror sound. "Die Spiegelmanufaktur" is the least ominous Mirror recording, conjuring images of the colorful spectacle of calm sunrises, but fortunately, Mirror veer far from the artistic suicide of New Age drivel. This is another beautiful recording by Mirror.
MPEG Stream: "Die Spiegelmanufaktur 1"MPEG Stream: "Die Spiegelmanufaktur 3"

MIRRORDie Spiegelmanufaktur(Die Stadt) lp 24.00THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.This installment from the prolific Mirror catalogue finds Mirror's core protagonists Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heeman working with the avant-rock darling Jim O'Rourke, who has kept himself busy by joining Sonic Youth. His presence will certainly bring this understated drone project to a bigger audience, and hopefully more attention to the reclusive, yet brilliant Chalk, whose solo work as well as his work with Organum, Ora, and Jonathan Coleclough remain all-time favorites here at Aquarius. The recordings found here were culled from a Mirror performance at the Lagerhaus in Bremen, Germany just a few months back in April 2002. The instrumentation appears to be organ, drone guitar, bowed metal, and some unidentified resonant clatter hovering at the event horizon much like the miniature sounds that Keith Rowe has produced for the recent AMM recordings. Through the glassine drone tricks that Chalk and Heeman have perfected in previous Mirror recordings, all of these sounds seamlessly meld into a tranquil piece of evocative ambience. Sporadically, a tremolo flutter emerges, probably indicative of some laptop trickery from O'Rourke. Do not fear, O'Rourke has left his Max / MSP patches turned off and thoughtfully ensured that his contribution was complementary to the Mirror sound. "Die Spiegelmanufaktur" is the least ominous Mirror recording, conjuring images of the colorful spectacle of calm sunrises, but fortunately, Mirror veer far from the artistic suicide of New Age drivel. This is another beautiful recording by Mirror. While in a few months a slightly different mix of this performance will be published on CD, "Die Spiegelmanufaktur" is now available as a picture disc feature Chalk's artwork and is strictly limited to 400 copies!
RealAudio clip: "Die Spiegelmanufaktur (excerpt 1)"RealAudio clip: "Die Spiegelmanufaktur (excerpt 2)"

MIRROREye of the Storm(Streamline) cd 14.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Of all of the Mirror records that have come out over the past three or four years, "Eye Of The Storm" has so far been the cream of the crop for the impressionistic drone duo of Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heemann. Originally released as an incredibly limited and incredibly expensive lp (even by Mirror standards) complete with an individually printed etching smeared with watercolors, "Eye Of The Storm" has thankfully been reissued on CD by Heemann's Streamline label, although with much more economical packaging. The sounds on this album immediately manifest a sublime sense of calm and tranquility, underpinned by subtly unnerving, haunting evocations that keep this album far from the realm of New Age drivel. Environmental sounds of wind, surf, and maybe even distant highways comprise the bulk of the source material, although Chalk and Heemann have multi-tracked and down-pitched these elements as to blur all of the edges and muffle the references. The duo couples these environmental passages with a quiet and slow chorus of bells, gongs, and singing bowls which flutter and quiver with an elegantly restrainted use of electronics. Perhaps because of the source material in question, "Eye Of The Storm" sparks a physicality of meteorological phenomenon, especially the cold & humid foggy air of a sleepy coastal town, yet it is eerily unwelcoming. Absolutely one of my (Jim's) favorite records of all time.
RealAudio clip: "Eye of the Storm"

MIRRORFront Row Centre(Die Stadt) lp 17.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.The breathtakingly beautiful collaborations between Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heemann as Mirror have resulted in three superb deep listening / tonal drift records in a little under a year, with "Eye of The Storm" for Streamline, "Ringstones" for Some Fine Legacy, and this for Die Stadt. While their production techniques revolve around blurring the sonic edges of arcane source material (highway field recordings, bowed metals, and tape machine backmasking), Mirror allows more of the source material to speak on its own with extended notes from orchestral warm-ups. They have layered hazy passages for lengthy french horns, warm strings, and a handful of their own mysterious drones within a slow building composition. If you've fallen for Chalk's work in the past, this album will certainly impress you also. Stunning work.

MIRRORI Paint For Love Of Color (Idea) lp 22.00THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.In November 2000, Mirror travelled to the US for a handful of shows in Austin, Chicago, and maybe a few other places in between (unfortunately not San Francisco). While cd-r bootlegs of those shows have been circulating, "I Paint For Love Of Color" is the second official documentation of that US tour, the first being the "Island" 2LP on Die Stadt. Mirror, of course, is the dronological outfit featuring Andrew Chalk, Christoph Heemann, and Andreas Martin, and has been releasing their work in a steady stream of very limited, vinyl only pressings. "I Paint For Love Of Color" was recorded in Ceremony Hall in Austin, and finds the trio creating another beautiful drift of guilded guitar drones that slide from delicate, elemental tones into eerie field recordings of distant alien screeches and thickly reverberated clamor. In contrast to the other Mirror albums, this is a bit more noisy, but doesn't stray too far from that amazing Mirror sound. Limited to only 800 copies, which will probably be gone before you blink.

MIRRORIslands(Die Stadt) 2lp 17.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.With a pressing of 1000 copies, Mirror's "Islands" may stay in print a little bit longer than all of the previous outings from this magnificent drone ensemble. Beginning as a duo of hermetic Andrew Chalk and part-time Nurse With Wound collaborator Christoph Heemann, Mirror has officially expanded into a trio with the addition of Andreas Martin -- Heemann's former partner in the cinematically Dadaist collage outfit HNAS. While all of the Chalk / Heemann outings as Mirror are totally breathtaking, the first outing for this Mirror trio was the shakey "Nightwalkers" album, which was dominated by perfunctorily isolationist washes of e-bowed guitars. "Islands" finds Mirror returning to the guitar with much more successful results. Sprawling across four sides of translucent blue vinyl, "Islands" seemlessly melts both studio sessions and live recordings from a series of recent shows in Austin, Texas. Like all of Mirror's albums, "Islands" appears as a fragment of a much larger composition which extends well beyond the temporal constraints of any given media. Complex ever shifting drones and mercurial tonalities belie the instrumentation being solely guitars, as field recordings of rainstorms and shadowy metallic striations emerge within Mirror's thick ambient wash. Of course, it's recommended. But don't expect this to last, despite the larger pressing.

MIRRORNightwalkers(Robot) cd 15.98Back in 2003, Streamline reissued the first Mirror record Eye Of The Storm on cd; and now Robot has seen fit to reissue another early Mirror record Nightwalkers. Originally released back in 2000, Nightwalkers found Mirror's core duo of Christoph Heemann and Andrew Chalk working with Andreas Martin, who had previously collaborated with Heemann in producing the crushed-velvet prog / ambience of Mimir. Martin's presence on this album definitely changes Mirror's awe-inspiring dronescapes built from manipulated field recordings and sustained tonalities; first of all there are clusters of drum machine rhythms which interrupt the tranquil beauty of the signature Chalk / Heeman minimalism, and elsewhere, Martin brings a wholly unmysterious e-bow guitar sound to Mirror as well. This has never been our favorite Mirror record, but even the weakest Mirror record is still pretty darn good in the greater scheme of things.
MPEG Stream: "Nightwalkers 2"MPEG Stream: "Nightwalkers 4"

MIRRORNightwalkers(Robot Records) lp 17.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Mirror, the collaborative effort between Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heemann, has already produced four albums this year of gorgeous drone mystery. Here the duo has been joined by Andreas Martin (who with Heemann made up the dada collage outfit HNAS in the '80s). I was never a big fan of HNAS, so even the collaboration of someone as awe-inspiring as Chalk with Heemann made me nervous. While all of Mirror's preceding albums are some of the best drone records to pass through Aquarius, "Nightwalkers" is not as exciting as one would hope. Perhaps we should blame the new kid in Mirror, as Andreas Martin brought a wholly unmysterious eBow guitar sound and intrusive drum machine clatter to the otherwise alien dronology of the group. Certainly for Andrew Chalk completists (like Jim) only.

MIRRORRingstones(Some Fine Legacy) lp 16.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Mirror is the collaborative work of Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heemann (whose production talent has recently been employed by Nurse With Wound). Through the gradual introduction of delicate hazy drones which provide little external references, Mirror's audio alchemy is apt to delude the listener about the length of these two beautiful and hypnotic recordings. We had thought that this might be the more affordable version of the first Mirror album (which ran around $55.00 due to the individually printed etchings as on the artwork), but it's an entirely new album. As with each Andrew Chalk release that has presented itself to us, this is highly recommended!

MIRRORSolaris(Idea) cd 16.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Finally! The first CD release from Mirror, the AQ-favorite duo of Andrew Chalk and Christoph Heemann (nope, no Jim O'Rourke or Andreas Martin on this album) whose previous recordings had been all been vinyl only releases! As was hinted in their last album "Die Spiegelmanufaktur," Mirror express themselves on "Solaris" less through the quest for the drone supreme of unidentifiable tonal fluctuations and more through the delicate interplay of slowly evolving improvisations sounding not unlike recent AMM swimming in the murk of drainage-ditch reverberation. Similarly, the instrumentation has shifted more towards the free-improv territory, centered around prepared piano and clarinet with plenty of drone processing. Neither instrument come across as being typically employed, as the woodwind emits breathy rushes of sound at times and at others haunted bleats resonating like Tibetan thigh-bone horns that had been so prevalent with the early Current 93 and Lustmord recordings. Slightly more conventional in its use, the prepared piano comes across as delicate plucks of the piano's strings and muffled clusters of notes hovering throughout the spatial plane. Nicely done.
RealAudio clip: "Solaris (excerpt 1)"RealAudio clip: "Solaris (excerpt 2)"RealAudio clip: "Solaris (excerpt 3)"

MIRRORStill Valley(Die Stadt) cd 24.00THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Earlier this year, Christoph Heemann and Andrew Chalk parted ways, effectively ending the steady stream of objet d'arts / impressionist soundscapes the two produced as Mirror. Still Valley is one of the final Mirror documents, which found Heemann and Chalk working with occasional member Jim O'Rourke. It was orginally released on vinyl earlier in 2005, but like all of the Mirror LPs, Still Valley quickly went out of print and is probably fetching very high prices on eBay. Now that it has received a proper CD reissue, Still Valley features a lengthy bonus track to make it well worth the investment for those who got the LP to also get the CD. In comparing Still Valley to recent post-Mirror output by Andrew Chalk, it appears that Still Valley is more closely aligned to his aesthetic than of those by either Heeman or O'Rourke. As on his breathtaking Sumac collaboration with Jonathan Coleclough and the flawless The River That Flows Into The Sand, Chalk's whispered minimalism exhibits the ability to stop time; and Mirror does just that in this aural mirage of tonefloat shimmer, delicate whistlings, and reverse-engineered drones. Limited to 1000 copies, which may translate to this sticking around for a little bit longer; but that does not change the fact that Still Valley is absolutely gorgeous.
MPEG Stream: "Still Valley 1"MPEG Stream: "Still Valley 2"

MIRRORStill Valley(Die Stadt) lp 27.00THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Except in unabashedly biased reviews from this store, Christoph Heeman continues to get the bulk of the credit for the successes of Mirror; but again, we must reiterate that Mirror is a collaboration with Andrew Chalk. His sustained bowing drones have previously been heard in his work with Jonathan Coleclough on Sumac, some of the more tranquil compositions by Organum, and a few hard-to-find solo albums; and his aesthetic of a whispered minimalism that has the ability to stop time is front and center on Still Valley, even though occasional Mirror-man Jim O'Rourke contributes to this LP only release. There's actually very little to talk about, as backwards masked drones (from what may be long-stringed instruments, bowed cymbals, or even just guitars) linger along the horizon like a mirage, flickering with a formless consistency. Absolutely gorgeous.

MIRRORViking Burial for a French Car(Plinkity Plonk) cd 19.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.It may seem like a curious title for Mirror, who are best known for simple if anthropomorphic allusions in their titles rather than something more fitting for the Icelandic absurdists Stilluppsteypa; yet one cannot forget that Mirror's Christoph Heemann began his musical career in the Nurse With Wound obsessed ensemble Hirsche Nicht Aufs Sofa, which translates as Moose Without A Sofa. That is not to say that Viking Burial for a French Car recalls the surrealistic meandering of HNAS, rather it sounds much like all of the other Mirror recordings -- tranquil, somber, and hypnotic dronescapes that hover like a wintery fog. With the inclusion of a few Scotsmen (David Keenan, Alex Neilson, and Gavin Laird) alongside Andrew Chalk and Heemann, the Mirror sound is altered a little bit. At first, Mirror unveils a sonorous tone of what could be a thousand car horns bleating into a canyon. This undulating mass of sound gradually gives way a post-AMM / Organum clamour of drum kit improv tumbling and textural growling, before dissolving back to the introductory funereal timbers that drift onward to oblivion.
MPEG Stream: "Excerpt 01"MPEG Stream: "Excerpt 02"

MIRRORVisiting Star(Three Poplars) lp 39.00THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.During the last year, Mirror has quietly released 6 albums - several of them incredibly limited art editions, wrapped in etchings, hand drawings, or monoprints. "Visiting Star" is one of those art editions (hence the price) with a lengthy strip of delicate paper hand patinaed with coppers, blues, and silvers and then wrapped around a standard black album cover. The color choice is one that matches the overall tonal quality that Mirror has been mastering during their brief but incredibly prolific career. Once simply the duo of AQ-favorite Andrew Chalk and recent Nurse With Wound collaborator Christoph Heemann, Mirror has recently expanded its membership to include Andreas Martin (who worked with Heemann in the '80s dadaist collage ensemble H.N.A.S.). While the first document of the new Mirror lineup faltered a bit, Mirror has returned to form with 'Visiting Star' -- mostly by recognizing that what Mirror does best is allow for Chalk's aesthetic of reflective metallic tones to float through space with all of their sublime glory intact. Here, Mirror's working process reveals itself a bit more, as eBowed guitars drift lazily alongside gently bowed gongs and bells. Absolute beauty.

MIRROR TO MIRRORA Personal Reality(Arbor) cassette 5.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MIRRORRINGForeign Body(Kranky) cd 14.98Finally a Grouper related release that we can actually list and not fear that it will go out of print in two minutes (knock on wood!!).Mirroring is the collaborative duo of Liz Harris (Grouper) and Jesy Fortino (Tiny Vipers), and this crushworthy duo deliver all the dark and smoldering sonic goods that one would expect from such a dream team. At first listen, one might assume this to be a split release rather than a collaboraton, as the opening track, "Fell Sound" begins in distinct Grouper territory with a muddy slow motion haze and Harris's barely there singing low in the mix. The next song, "Silent From Above" has a more dark folk vibe with acoustic guitar and Fortino's more emotive voice making itself present. But as things progress, the distinctive aspects of each player begin to meld, shift and play off of each other. Harris is given room to come out of her shell a bit more, and Fortino shows more restraint. After awhile, it becomes unclear just who is doing what, but the sound itself is darkly lyrical and contemplative and beautifully mesmerizing.Hmm, now what did we say above about it going out of print? 'Cause there's an lp version of this too, but we were shorted, hopefully we'll get more next week...
MPEG Stream: "Fell Sound"MPEG Stream: "Mine"MPEG Stream: "Cliffs"

MIRRORRINGForeign Body(Kranky) lp 14.98Now here on vinyl too!!!Finally a Grouper related release that we can actually list and not fear that it will go out of print in two minutes (knock on wood!!).Mirroring is the collaborative duo of Liz Harris (Grouper) and Jesy Fortino (Tiny Vipers), and this crushworthy duo deliver all the dark and smoldering sonic goods that one would expect from such a dream team. At first listen, one might assume this to be a split release rather than a collaboraton, as the opening track, "Fell Sound" begins in distinct Grouper territory with a muddy slow motion haze and Harris's barely there singing low in the mix. The next song, "Silent From Above" has a more dark folk vibe with acoustic guitar and Fortino's more emotive voice making itself present. But as things progress, the distinctive aspects of each player begin to meld, shift and play off of each other. Harris is given room to come out of her shell a bit more, and Fortino shows more restraint. After awhile, it becomes unclear just who is doing what, but the sound itself is darkly lyrical and contemplative and beautifully mesmerizing.
MPEG Stream: "Fell Sound"MPEG Stream: "Mine"MPEG Stream: "Cliffs"

MIRRORSHands In My Pockets(Overground) cd 15.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Rare tracks from this band of punk rock new wave misfits. Active for about three years in the about-to-be-obscenely-fertile Cleveland punk rock scene, the Mirrors formed in 1972 and were broken up by 1975, just as Cleveland was poised to unleash a barrage of snotty punky new wave mayhem on an unsuspecting public in the form of the Dead Boys, Rocket From The Tombs, The Electric Eels, the Pagans, Pere Ubu and more! Think early punk rock mixed with a little Velvet Underground. Thirteen unreleased tracks and two exclusive tracks!
RealAudio clip: "Cheap and Vulgar"RealAudio clip: "Muckraker"

MIRRORSSomething That Would Never Do(Violet / Hovercraft) lp 24.00A killer vinyl sort-of best of from these legendary Cleveland punk rock new wave misfits. The Mirrors were only active for about three years in the mid seventies, in the about-to-be-obscenely-fertile Cleveland punk rock scene, breaking up just as Cleveland was poised to unleash a barrage of snotty punky new wave mayhem on an unsuspecting public in the form of the Dead Boys, Rocket From The Tombs, The Electric Eels, the Pagans, Pere Ubu and more! Think early punk rock mixed with a little Velvet Underground. Awesome stuff. LIMITED TO 800 COPIES. Maybe sold out already, we have a small handful...

MIRRORS, THE13 Patient Flowers(Birdman) cd 14.98

MIRZAAnadromous(Darla) cd 14.98

MIRZAIron Compass Flux(Darla) cd 11.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MIRZALast Clouds(Ba Da Bing!) cd 13.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.It's strange how often instead of a proper album, a band's posthumous live/odd-n-ends release often ends up being my favorite (sez Allan), like A Minor Forest's "So, Were They In Some Sort of Fight", This Heat's "Made Available", Devo's "Hardcore Devo Vol. 1", half the stuff Faust ever released, and now Mirza's "Last Clouds" cd. "Last Clouds" collects a bunch of early and unreleased material from the now-defunct San Francisco space-rock / drone-core ensemble Mirza (which was Glenn Donaldson, Brian Lucas, Steven R. Smith, and Mark Williams). Specifically, the disc includes the four tracks from Mirza's debut 12" inch (orginally released by Autopia in 1996) and seven previously unreleased tracks recorded from 1995-98 -- live improvisations from shows and rehearsals we think.Glenn (who remains very active in the post-Mirza outfit Thuja, as well as other projects like The Knit Separates, Blithe Sons, Skygreen Leopards, etc.) describes these recordings as sounding like early Skullflower. And it's true that there's a psychedelic density of sound shared by both Mirza and Skullflower, but Mirza was prone to meander where Skullflower's structured moments were much more brutal and unrelenting than these sensitive boys could ever be -- although some of these tracks come mighty close! On these disc, Mirza plays around with various drugged-out psych-rock riffs that get incrementally heavier throughout each track, rhythmically emulating the best Krautrock grooves that doubtless occupied a lot of their listening. Inspired stuff, in all senses. This material will definitely come as a bit of a surprise to those who know Mirza from their more "ambient, bliss-out" styled stuff on the Darla label! Also fans of Thuja's gorgeous drone-jams, or Steven R. Smith's lovely solo releases, may be astonished at how noisy, loud, heavy and rocked-out some of this is, but we're sure they can dig it. More proof that Mirza and their whole extended musical family were/are something for us here in San Francisco to be quite proud of, in the realm of worldclass psychedelic drone improv rock. And look out for the brilliant new Thuja album "Ghost Plants" coming in January on the Emperor Jones label for further confirmation of this fact.
RealAudio clip: "West"RealAudio clip: "Acts/Volcano of Birds"RealAudio clip: "Nostalgia"

MISERY INDEXDissent(Anarchos) cd 8.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.Get ready extreme metal fans -- the most punk rock band in death metal return again with perhaps their single best recording yet. I've been an enormous fan of these Baltimore-area death/grinders since most of the band's members initially splintered off from Dying Fetus and its more narrow death-metal trappings. Misery Index retains the intensity of death metal, but further incorporate more focused song structures from a hardcore punk perspective. Don't be misled -- they're still a million times more technical than most, but they have the most anarchist-friendly smash-the-state lyrical agenda this side of a Crass compilation. Misery Index stand alone in their ability to achieve the rare combination of totally brutal heaviness contained within the context of distinct, catchy memorable and unique songs -- a sadly rare anomaly in metal these days. And the drumming! The Herculean drum abilities of the inimitable Kevin Talley have been mentioned in these pages before, but it bares repeating, if only because Talley has been absent from the last couple recording sessions. Well, he's back again, and just a few seconds of his playing will send prospective metal drummers back to the rehearsal studio, tail between legs and head bowed in shame. Overall, an intensely powerful five-song ep and a very welcome return to form. Stay with the band Kevin!
MPEG Stream: "Dissent II. Exception to the Ruled"MPEG Stream: "Dissent III. The Imperial Ambition"

MISERY INDEXRetaliate(Nuclear Blast) cd 12.98Speaking in terms of aural metaphor, prepare to be brutally beaten about the head and neck by this new release from the no-holds-barred death/grind outfit known as Misery Index, a band that AQ's metalheads already were fans of -- thanks to their split cd with Commit Suicide -- and having been formed by 3 ex-members of the mighty Dying Fetus, including master metal drummer Kevin Talley, who was replaced by a drum student of his before this record!). 'Retaliate' storms along with super political (A customer of ours called them the Crass of death metal), seriously pissed-off, society-slagging, strength through hate music-making. With their shouted vocals, brutal guitars, and grindgod drumming, Misery Index can't be taken lightly.
MPEG Stream: "Retaliate"

MISERY INDEX / BATHTUB SHITTERsplit(Emetic) 7" 4.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.What the world needs now is... more BATHTUB SHITTER!!! And what the world needs, our shit obsessed grindmetal pals from the East are here to provide. Two brand new blasts of grinding freaked out, spazzy and shrieking grind metal, occupying some impossible musical space between Brutal Truth, the Boredoms, Cannibal Corpse, skate thrash and eighties hardcore. So weird and so fucking awesome!!! We kind of want to figure out a way to fly the guys in Bathtub Shitter to the US so they could be the AQ house band, blasting and bleating dissonant serenades to our customers 24 hours a day. Okay, maybe not, but we still love 'em!The 'Shitter are teamed up here with Maryland's own grindmetal destruction crew Misery Index, who unleash one track of downtuned grinding nirvana as well as a blown out blast that is a Napalm Death cover.Comes packaged in a super swank gatefold 7" sleeve, with BS's side a haunting airbrushed watercolor batwinged, horn headed child demon flipping us the ubiquitous peace sign hand gesture (although his hands sport huge demonic talons!). Cool!

MISERY SIGNALSOf Malice and The Magnum Heart (Ferret) cd 14.98

MISFITSStatic Age(Caroline) cd 16.98These spooky punks earliest recordings, for the first time available outside of the coffin box set!

MISFITSWalk Among Us(Slash / Ruby) lp 21.00THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MISFITS / LEMONHEADSSide By Side: Skulls(Rhino) 7" picture disc 10.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MISS KITTINBatBox(Nobody's Bizzness) cd 16.98

MISS BLISSWarm Sounds From A Cold Town(Meltdown) cd 10.98THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MISS KITTINI Com(EMI) cd 16.98If there was one thing you could count on with Miss Kittin, it was that ample dose of Teutonic ironic levity in her electro-sass tracks. Well, sad to report, but her new album is sorely lacking in that department. Not to say that she doesn't try, but she just doesn't hit the saucy silly heights of her First Album with The Hacker. You might hear a few of her fans crying out "No fun!" but hang on a sec, the party isn't over! On the brighter side of things, she flexes her muscles a-plenty on the underlying tracks. As a result, I Com might initially disappoint in that it doesn't ooze as much obvious MK personality, however further listens prove that it does shine on other levels. Many tracks reveal an expanded scope ripe for repeat listens (and thus fortunately dodging dancefloor novelty status or worse yet that of a fading electroclasher). A highlight? The punchy brash girl-chant track "Meet Sue Be She"! Sure to win over plenty of Le Tigre fans.
MPEG Stream: "Soundtrack Of Now"MPEG Stream: "Meet Sue Be She"

MISS KITTINProfessional Distortion(Novamute) cd single 9.98Hey hot stuff! If her most recent I Com album wasn't enough Miss Kittin for ya, here's some more! It's kinda like a lil' Miss Kittin goodie bag. The party favors include four audio tracks and one video. The listenin' is plenty fun, especially the track called "Otto Von Schirach's Gods Magnetic Cereal Pamper". On the other hand, the watchin' is a lo-fi letdown. Be additionally forewarned: this disc crashed out computer repeatedly -- which is why there's no audio clips from it on our site.

MISS KITTIN & THE HACKERFirst Album(International Deejay Gigolo) cd 16.98Joining the international ranks of the new wave / electro resurgence are Germany's Miss Kittin & The Hacker, alongside Fischerspooner, and Adult. The foul-mouthed Miss Kittin fronts this duo as the Teutonic ice diva complete with an omnisexual appetite driven by fame and cocaine -- or at least that's who she wants us to believe she is. At the opposite end of the spectrum is The Hacker, a wallflower technician who crafts a relentless electro minimalism of jet black grooves somewhere between the disco production of Giorgio Moroder and the jackbooted synthesis of Nitzer Ebb. Much like the grand jokes told in utter sincerity by Alec Empire and his Atari Teenage Riot, Miss Kittin & The Hacker succeed in realizing irony by constructing a larger-than-life facade that plays with the stereotypes of new wave - as a sterile and quite often vacuously stupid form of music easily dated from the '80s. Yes, Miss Kittin & The Hacker do make sterile, vacuous, and utterly stupid music; but they present it as an overblown hyperbole of theatrical nonchalance and slinky panache. There's no way you can take Miss Kittin seriously with her desires to be Frank Sinatra as she coldly beckons for her lover to "Suck my dick. Lick my ass. In limousines we have sex with my famous friends. So nice." So dumb and so good.
RealAudio clip: "Life On MTV"RealAudio clip: "Frank Sinatra"RealAudio clip: "Stripper"